Blockchain had a good run in 2016 with a lot going on, including over $1.5 bln invested in startups, Bitcoin breaking out of the $700 resistance level and the likes of IBM and Microsoft betting the shop on this new pervasive technology. We saw Barclays Bank’s first live commercial banking transaction, Hyperledger’s very promising Corda technology coming of age and, of course, more attacks requiring more forks. In addition, the Scaling Conference in Milan showcased some amazing projects that bode well for Blockchain’s amazing future. So what does 2017 hold for the Bitcoin Blockchain? On par with gold Bitcoin will continue its rise from its three-year high to reach parity with gold, continuing the trend post the devaluation of the yuan, the withdrawal of large Indian notes, as well as the Trump and Brexit effect. Breaking out As 2016 was the year of the Proof of Concept, 2017 will be the year when Blockchain breaks out of the lab and into production environments. Forks Ethereum will continue to fork under constant attacks and will get stronger as Casper comes of age. Furthermore, Ether will continue to struggle to break through the $1 bln market capitalization. Smart contracts Banks will try …